EASTER SEALS MIDWEST

Monday, August 15, 2011

Driving the Weekend Away

Not since my Bejewled Weekend back several months ago have I been so enthralled in an activity. Truly it was the only thing I thought of during the weekend and every time I did something else I thought of going back to what I was doing. So, what was I doing? I've talked about iRacing in the past with this post as well as this one.

If you are new to my blog you might want to check out my glossary as I explain here that iRacing went from a Kansas to a hyper-Kansas. With my interests that are a Kansas I can step out of it, but when something goes into hyper-Kansas it is very difficult to break away from that activity.

Truly, I raced more on iRacing in this weekend that I think I did for any entire week that I have been a member. I did three F1 races @ 50ish minutes easy, two 110 lap modified races, six 25 minute GT races, many street stock races, and whole lot of practice.

While I still don't know why something goes from a Kansas to a hyper-Kansas I do know what it feels like. During a hyper-Kansas event it all but hurts to be doing something other than the hyper-Kansas activity. It's as if every cell in my body is magnetized and is attracted to that activity. Yesterday I was so enthralled with iRacing that lunch was just a distraction that I didn't have time for.

Looking back on my life I do know there is a vast difference between Kansas and hyper-Kansas. I have stated many times, and in my presentation the exact quote on my PowerPoint is that, "Kansas is that activity or interest a person on the ASD is obsessed with and, as my dad would say 'won't shut up about.'" However, when there is a hyper-Kansas amplify that statement. It becomes more.

When I was younger in school I can remember that when I learned about states and capitols I went into hyper-Kansas mode because I needed to know them. Also, when the game of flashcards came about I did everything I could to learn the multiplication tables to the exclusion of other subjects. When there is a hyper-Kansas other interests or activities that I do like are sometimes ignored.

So how long does a hyper-Kansas last? Usually they aren't a prolonged event; however, as of late my passion for driving has increased and since I am not in a position to drive in real life, what better way to satisfy that desire to drive than to compete against people all around the world on iRacing.

I do want to point out that I don't make a conscious effort to decide what does and what doesn't become a Kansas or a hyper-Kansas. With that being said, do I want the current hyper-Kansas to end? I have a mixed answer on this as it is nice to be able to think about other things and to have other interests, but on the other hand I can honestly say there is no better feeling that to be completely engrossed within the amazingly awesome confines of hyper-Kansas.

3 comments:

Question... How in the world do you mix that hyper-Kansas with work?! As the biggest convention of the year is drawing closer, I'm having the hardest time concentrating on anything else but convention organising!But this means my work, but also all my other daily activities, suffer, because I can't put any heart into it anymore. I'm just doing them because I have to, but am doing them half-heartedly and seem to postpone a lot of activities which don't seem to be needed immediatly. All very bad habits, especially at work.Also... I find myself checking Twitter and my e-mail and that kind of stuff a lot, even at work, just hoping someone will send me some convention-stuff to work on, so I can look forward to doing that after work.I'd really love to know how you mix your life with hyper-Kansas, because I just seem to get depressed by anything besides conventions at the moment.

Who I Am

Hello, my name is Aaron Likens and thanks for visiting my blog. I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of the book "Finding Kansas. My passion in life is to raise the awareness and understanding of the autism spectrum through this blog as well as the many presentations I give. For myself, as much as it is a passion, it is personal because I was given the diagnosis of Asperger's when I was 20. Back then there wasn't much info and I fell into a pit of despair. I stayed there for 15 months but then I eventually discovered myself through writing and now here I am and here you are on my blog. There are well over 1,000 posts on this blog as I started blogging in March of 2010. So whether you're reading today's blog, or are skimming through stories of the past, I hope that your time here gives you a better glimps of what living life on the autism spectrum, or, "other side of the wall" is like. If you do like what you see please follow me on Facebook as that's where I share when I've written a new blog as well as announcing where I will be presenting. Please note that the opinions expressed on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Easter Seals Midwest.

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Finding Kansas Revisited

To mark 10 years since I started writing my book I did a blog series with my thoughts from today on what I wrote then. This was the first time I ever read anything I had ever written.

The Sunglasses Experiment

I ran a sunglasses experiment to judge why eye contact is so difficult. I wore them for about 15 days, then I switched back to my normal glasses to see how big of a difference there was. By clicking my picture you can be taken to the page that has the complete experiement all in one place.

About Me

I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome. My passion in life is raising awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders and to help the world understand how the mind of a person on the spectrum works. I can do this because I am on the spectrum (Asperger's).
I was diagnosed at the age of 20 and after the diagnosis a lot of my quirks made sense. I didn't understand who I was though and went into a deep depression. Through this depression though I became very keen on my inner self and I started to write. I wrote and I wrote and before I knew it I wrote a book.
5 years later I am, among other things, giving presentations to police, teachers, and parents and am now starting my quest on making the best blog possible!
The views on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Easter Seals Midwest.
If you have any questions, or comments, or have an article idea please email me at aaron.likens@yahoo.com.